Run Away
by Shayda
Summary: Chelsea has just made the difficult choice to move to Sunshine Islands to try and escape her mysterious past. But just when things seem to be going perfectly, she may just find that sometimes the past can come back to haunt you. Read and Review!
1. Chapter 1

It was my first day on the island and I was so excited. I needed a fresh start after…No. I won't think about it.

I'd just left Chen's general store and was heading next door to meet Mirabelle when I accidentally bumped into someone.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!"

"S-sorry" I looked up and found myself staring into the eyes of a very angry cowboy.

"Whatever." He huffed and stormed off in the direction of the beach. Confused, I entered Mirabelle's shop.

"Hello! You must be the new farmer! Taro said you'd be here soon but I had no idea it would be _this_ soon!" said a motherly- looking woman from behind the counter. She walked over to stand in front of me. "My name is Mirabelle," she said, holding out her hand, "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Chelsea." I said, shaking her hand. A quick look around said that this was obviously an animal shop. At Mirabelle's request I went and sat in the stool at the counter.

"Would you like something to drink Chelsea?" she asked, "We have tea?"

"Yes please." I replied.

"MOM!" suddenly the shop door slammed open and an excited looking girl strode in. "MOM! OH MY GOD YOU'LL NEVER GUESS WHAT I JUST HEARD THERE'S A NEW FARMER FINALLY ON THE ISLAND AND THE BEST PART IS THAT SHE'S-"

"Right here." Mirabelle chuckled. I waved shyly from where I was sitting.

"Oh. Well hi!" she said and came to sit next to me, "I'm Julia! I'm so excited that we finally have a farmer on the islands! Where did you come from?"

"Well, the brochures will tell you it's the 'Island of Happiness,' but it wasn't very happy for me. so I packed up and came here." I replied. Brief flashes of the past came to mind, but I forced them away. Julia was about to say something when the door opened again; it was the sullen cowboy from earlier.

"Hello Vaughn." Mirabelle said.

He stopped in his tracks and glared at me before replying with "Hey." I watched him walk behind the counter and disappear behind a door marked 'BARN'.

"Oh don't mind Vaughn, he's always like that." said Julia.

I ended up staying at Mirabelle's shop all day and even having dinner with her and Julia. I didn't know a whole lot about these islands, and I knew even less about the people here, but I think that I made the right choice in moving here. Only time would tell.

**A/N: So... This is my first ever fanfic, so please don't judge me too harshly. I'd really like some feedback so I can try to get better at this. Thanks Readers :)**


	2. Chapter 2

_I was in my field, watering my carrots. Suddenly, I heard my dog bark wildly. I wasn't expecting anyone today, so I turned to see who had come to visit…._

I woke up drenched in sweat. I briefly wondered who I heard screaming, then I realized that it was me. I quickly closed my mouth and tried to figure out where I was. I mean, this wasn't my farm house. Nothing looked familiar. Where was- oh. Right. I moved to Sunshine Islands. This _was _my farm house now.

I got out of bed shakily, still half expecting…. No. I left it all behind me. I was here to begin my new life and make new friends. After all, that was half the fun, wasn't it? I had already been here for two weeks and already I had three friends: Julia, Natalie, and Lanna.

After breakfast I walked out to my field, where I had already harvested my first few turnips yesterday. As soon as my feet touched the barren soil my nightmare flashed in my mind. I tried to brush it off, but after a few more steps it became clear that I couldn't do my daily chores. I was simply too distracted today. I figured I'd just wander into town and try to take my mind off things.

I decided that the first thing I'd do would be to go to Mirabelle's shop to get some more chicken feed, since I was pretty sure I was running low. When I crossed the bridge into town I heard a friendly voice call to me from the shipping bin.

"Hey Chelsea! What's up?" Natalie asked as she jogged up to me, "I'm not used to seeing you in town so early."

"Hey Natalie," I answered, "I was just heading out to get some feed for Pip."

"Cool. I was just heading over to see Julie. Mind if I tag along?" I told her I didn't and we started walking down the street.

"So how're you liking things around here so far?" she asked.

"I love it. It's a whole lot calmer than my last home." I replied. Natalie gave me a questioning look. "Are you feeling okay? You don't seem like yourself today."

"W-what do you mean?" I stammered. I didn't think it was that noticeable.

"You just seem… down."

"I'm fine Nat." I said, forcing a casual laugh. She didn't seem to believe me; in fact, it looked like she was about to say something else when we arrived at Mirabelle's and Julie's.

"Looks like we're here," I said in a rush, "I'll just slip in and get what I need." I tried hurrying casually, but I'm pretty sure I failed.

"Good morning you two!" called Mirabelle from behind the counter. "Go on in. Julie's almost finished with her chores."

"Actually, I came to see you." I said, taking out my purse.

"Oh, official farm business eh?" she chuckled. "What'll it be today?"

I smiled; I couldn't help it. Mirabelle was always so cheerful that it was hard to be down around her.

"I'll take about 10 bags of chicken feed please." I told her.

"That'll be 100G." she answered, heading towards the store room. As I counted out the money I was struck by a thought.

"How much is your animal medicine today?" I asked.

Mirabelle poked her head out the door. "Oh no, is little Pip sick?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that. I just wanted to be prepared is all." I answered.

"Oh good." She said, ducking back into the store room. "Tell you what, since it's the first and hopefully only time you're buying it, I'll give you a special discount. 500G."

I was shocked. Usually medicine cost around 1000G. Special discount indeed. I reached into my purse again to count out the money for the medicine when suddenly a large hand fell on my shoulder. My eyes got as big as they could and I screamed instinctively, dropping my purse in the process. The hand flew away and, still screaming, I turned, expecting the worst.

"Easy! Easy! Calm down!" said Vaughn, holding his hands up and backing away.

"Chelsea?" cried Mirabelle. She ran out of the store room just as Natalie and Julia ran in from the house to see what was going on. By this time I was hyperventilating with tears rolling down my face. I'm not quite sure when I dropped to the floor; I hadn't even noticed until Mirabelle sat on her knees beside me.

"Shh. Shh." She cooed softly, holding me to her the way my mother used to do when I was little. Vaughn had retreated to the wall farthest away from me, looking shocked, awkward, and most of all, very worried. Julia and Natalie came to sit beside me, and together with Mirabelle, they managed to calm me down eventually.

"I-I'm sorry," I stammered at Vaughn as I stood up, "I thought you were…."

"Who?" he asked

"Just…. Nothing. I mean, no one. I mean, he used to be but-" I was starting to speak in a rush.

"Chelsea, calm down; we're here for you." Julia said as she gave me a quick hug.

"Come on everyone," Mirabelle said, "Let's all go have a nice cup of tea." She went to the shop door and put the 'CLOSED' sign in the window. Julia wrapped an arm around me as she led me through the door Vaughn held open for us.

We all sat at the big kitchen table as Mirabelle began brewing the tea. Julia got out a cup for everyone while Natalie went to get the cream and sugar. We all sat in silence as we waited for the tea to finish, Vaughn keeping his distance while also keeping a worried eye on me. Finally, the kettle whistled and Mirabelle poured us all some tea. After I had taken a few sips, Natalie broke the heavy silence.

"What happened in there Chelsea?" she asked, concerned. Every eye in the room was trained on me as the awaited my response. Especially Vaughn's.

I finished my tea as I tried to find a way to reply. Finally, I sat my cup on the table and began telling them all my story…..

**A/N: OH NO! Poor Chelsea! I wonder what could have made her so upset? Chapter 3 should tell us everything.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Last chapter, Chelsea was about to tell us her story in an effort to explain her extreme reaction to Vaughn touching her shoulder, catching her off guard.**

"I owe you all an explanation for what just happened in the shop." I began. "But before I do, I just want to say that I'm really sorry for my reaction."

"It all started a few years ago. Back then I was much more carefree than I am now. I was the only farmer on the island, and I loved it. I had really made a home there.

As it would happen, there was someone on the island that loved to help me out on the farm. His name, was Mark. Over time, Mark and I became best friends. We both loved farming, and hardly 5 minutes would pass without us laughing at a shared experience or joke.

As the year went on, Mark and I grew closer. He started bringing me flowers and small little treasures he would find when he was out walking. I guess you could say that we started dating. Things were great at first, but after awhile Mark… changed.

It was nothing big at first, just him being over protective. But then he started calling me obsessively and ask where I was or who I was with. He somehow managed to be everywhere I was 'coincidentally'. Mark would even get angry if I went to visit with friends.

One night I came home from hanging out with a friend to find Mark waiting for me. I could tell right away that he was angry. Without saying a single word, he started viciously hitting my friend. I…" I felt tears come to my eyes, "I tried to stop him. I screamed for him to stop, but he wouldn't listen. I tried to grab his arm and pull him away but… he just…"

"He just what?" asked Natalie from the edge of her seat, her wide eyes fixed on me.

"Mark… he… wasn't in his right mind. He was just angry and he didn't mean it…. But he… hit… me."

"WHAT?" screamed Natalie; her chair fell over as she stood in fury. "Where is he? Chelsea, just say the word and I'll go pound his sorry face in!"

"Calm down Natalie!" scolded Julia, though I noticed that she held on to her mug with a white-knuckled grip. "Let her finish." I began my story again.

"I fell to the ground, my face stinging from the blow. After that, I told him that I never wanted to see him again. He listened and my life went on as if I had never met him. At first.

One night, I woke up to get a drink of water. When I came back to my room I noticed a shadow standing at my window. I backed away from it and turned on the light. Mark stood gazing at me from the other side of the glass. I ran to the bathroom, locked the door, and stayed there for the rest of the night. The next day I grabbed whatever would fit in my rucksack and what little money I had and took the next ship out of there. I didn't know where I was going, so it was by chance that I ended up here." I finished.

At the end of my story, Mirabelle hugged me. "Don't you worry Chelsea," she told me, "We won't let anything or anyone hurt you ever again."

"Yeah," said Natalie, "I'll be all too happy to punch the first sucker that so much as looks at you funny!"

"Chelsea…" said Vaughn quietly. I'd forgotten that he was even in the room since he hadn't made a noise the whole time. "I'm sorry I scared you. It won't happen again, I promise." He stood and walked over to me. "I managed to pick this up for you." he said, handing me my coin purse.

"Thanks." I said as I took it from him and put it in my pocket. I felt bad as I watched him leave the room.

Mirabelle reopened the shop a few minutes after Vaughn left. Natalie and Julia refused to let me leave unless they could walk me home, so I reluctantly allowed them. Not like I had any choice. When we got home I was shocked to see a wheelbarrow full of feed and a bottle of animal medicine waiting for me on my front porch. Sitting on top was a letter adressed to me written in perfectly neat handwritting. Inside, the letter read:

_Dear Chelsea,_

_I thought I would take the liberty of delivering this for you. _

_-Vaughn_

**A/N: I hope you guys like this chapter :) Please review, because I really need the feedback (I'm not quite sure I'm doing this whole thing quite right) **


	4. Chapter 4

CH.4

It had been a few days since I'd told my story at Mirabelle's shop. I finished my breakfast and was just about to head out to feed my chickens when I heard a soft knock at my door. Confused, I looked at my clock. 8:30 am. Who could possibly want to visit this early? As I walked to the door another knock announced that I was moving too slowly. I cautiously peeked through the tiny hole in my door and smiled when I saw Mirabelle standing on the other side.

"Hello Chelsea! I have a surprise for you!" she said cheerily when I had opened the door. "Come with me." Mirabelle chatted excitedly as she led me toward the entrance to my farm.

"Where are we going?" I asked curiously.

"Right here." She replied with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Now then, close your eyes. And remember, no peeking!"

I chuckled to myself as I closed my eyes. Suddenly I felt a tugging on my bandana.

"What are you doing?" I giggled.

"Making sure you don't peek." She answered, tying the red cloth around my eyes. I stood feeling like a little girl again as I heard Mirabelle's footsteps fade in the distance. I started to remember the last time I had waited like this for something. My mother had done this same thing when I was younger; she used to give me small trinkets all the time, one of which had been my bandana. I smiled at the memory while I waited for Mirabelle to return.

"Are you ready?" she asked a little while later.

"I think so." I replied.

"Alright, you can look!" I pulled off my bandana and was shocked to find two little puppies waiting in front of me. "One of my friend's dog had puppies and these are the last two," she told me excitedly, "I figured that you might want one."

I didn't know what to say; I had always wanted a puppy. Mirabelle took my silence as dismay. "You _do_ want one, don't you?" she asked.

"Of _course_ I want a puppy!" I managed at last. At the sound of my voice both of the puppies began to play with each other. The smaller light brown one ran over to chew at my boot laces while the larger dark brown one began to chase a butterfly. Mirabelle and I laughed at their antics.

"So, which one do you want?" she asked me, bending over to scoop up the dark brown one before he could jump on a turnip the butterfly had landed on.

"Well, I've always wanted a puppy, and both of them are really cute," I said, "but this little one right here has caught my eye." I told her, gesturing at the lighter puppy. As soon as I did, the puppy stopped chewing on my boot laces and looked up at me with its tongue lolling out of its mouth. I swear it looked like it was grinning at me.

"Good choice. Out of all of the puppies, she showed the most promise for farm life, even if she is the runt." Mirabelle smiled. "What will you name her?"

I glanced down at my new puppy, who was looking at me expectantly. I considered for a minute more before I finally decided on a name. "I'll call her… Tara." I said finally. I bent down and picked up my new puppy while Mirabelle set the other puppy down. "Oh! Before I forget," she said, digging around in her pocket, "I have something for Tara." I scratched the puppy behind her ears, watching as Mirabelle pulled out a small red cloth. She grinned when she saw my expression. "Now you match!" she chuckled, tying the small bandana around Tara's neck.

When she had finished, Mirabelle stood up and admired her work. "Like Farmer, like dog." She said. "You two were made for each other!" I looked down at my new puppy and smiled.

"If you need anything, just swing by the shop, I'll be more than happy to help you with any questions you might have." She bent down and scooped up the other puppy again. "You might want to stop by later today though; I ordered a shipment of pet food and it should be here by this afternoon." I watched Mirabelle leave with the puppy under her arm and waving with the other.

"Well Tara," I said, looking down at the little puppy, "Let me show you your new home."

**A/N: Sorry this is soo late! I don't have internet and my flash drive went missing, but now that I have it back I hope to be updating my story sort of regularly. Thanks for being so patient, and please review! I need to know if I'm doing well with the characters or if I'm utterly butchering them.**


	5. Chapter 5

**CH.5**

I woke up suddenly, surprised to hear rain pelting my window. I didn't think it was supposed to rain today, then again I forgot to ask Taro about it last night. I reluctantly got out of bed and wandered over to my closet, but I already knew what I would find. I groaned when my suspicions were confirmed: not a stitch of clothes fit for rainy weather, except for my boots. I got dressed slowly, dreading going outside. I grabbed a slice of toast and swiftly glanced at the calendar before I left to take care of my animals.

_Well, I have one thing to be thankful for, _I thought, _At least I can skip watering my crops today._ As I passed my field, though, I couldn't help but to double check that they were doing alright. The first place I went was the chicken coop to feed Pip and Chip and to collect the eggs I was sure I would find. Once that was finished, I hurried over to the barn to take care of Bessy. This was her first storm since I had bought her, and I didn't want to startle her too much. I took my time milking her and I made sure to brush her twice, just in case she was stressed. After I had put all of my tools and Bessy's milk in my rucksack, I headed over to the stable where Tara slept.

"Tara," I called, "Where are you girl?" I looked around and tried to spot the little puppy. After a swift glance around the room I figured that she was just hiding behind one of the bags of pet food. I smiled a little and picked up one of the bags. She usually hid until she heard the sound of kibble hitting her feeder, then she ran and acted like she had never been fed before. I poured the kibble in her dish and waited for her to come bounding out of her hiding place.

After a few minutes of waiting I began to get worried. Tara usually came running by now, tail wagging and tummy growling. I went around the pile of kibble in search of the little puppy. A glimpse of red caught my eye; it turned out to be Tara's bandana, caught on a jagged edge of board beside a small hole in the stable wall.

Panic filled my heart as I pictured what had happened. Tara had probable been startled by the thunder and lightning and tried to run from her fears. Right through a hole in the wall that I had never even noticed. I grabbed the piece of cloth in my fist before I ran out of the building in search of my dog.

My first instinct was to head into the small wood just behind the stable. The hole was in that wall, so she was probably hiding under a tree nearby. Hopefully. I ran through the trees, calling her name as loud as I could, trying to be heard over the thunder."Tara! Tara, where are you?" I shouted, frantically searching anywhere she might have gone. An hour later it became clear that she was not in the woods. But I refused to give up on her.

I began to run as fast as I could, heading for town. _If anyone can help me_, I thought, _Mirabelle can. _I felt like I was flying over the ground, my feet hardly touching the boards that linked my small island with the main island. I streaked past the side of Chen's store and turned to continue to Mirabelle's store. The mud had really built up on the road and I ended up falling, sliding past the street I was trying to turn on. I ignored the pain and doubled back, careful to slow down a little before I tried to turn this time.

"MIRABELLE!" I screamed, slamming her door open wide. Everyone inside stopped what they were doing to stare at me, but I only had eyes for the one woman who could possibly help me. Mirabelle was frozen in shock as she stared at my now drenched and mud covered clothes; a small part of my mind noticed that her eyes widened when she saw that even my hair and bandana were muddied.

"W-what's wrong Chelsea?" she asked, a touch of fear coloring her tone. I ignored it and ran over to her. Suddenly I felt a lump in my throat, so I wordlessly held up the tiny bandana still clenched tightly in my fist. Mirabelle gasped, and I heard someone off to the side inhale sharply.

"I went in to feed her this morning and-" my voice cracked, "-and she was gone." I finished. I swallowed the lump that was threatening to steal my voice; crying would not help Tara. I pulled myself together and focused on the task at hand. "I found this snagged on a broken board in the stable wall. I already searched Ranch Island, but I couldn't find her." I realized that instead of sounding desperate, my voice sounded fierce and determined. "I'm not going to give up on her."

"I don't expect you to dear," Mirabelle said gently, "But maybe if you waited for the storm to calm down-"

"NO!" I was shocked at how loud I had gotten. "She's just a puppy, and she's probably terrified. I _have_ to find her"

"I'll help you look." For the first time since I had entered, I realized that Vaughn was standing silently in the corner of the room. I couldn't think of anything to say; I just stared as he sat down the length of rope he had wound over his shoulder.

"Th-thanks." I managed at last, "Let's go."

Mirabelle wished us luck as we both bolted out of her shop. I was shocked to realize that I was running faster that Vaughn, but then I realized that he was letting me lead the way. I headed back into the woods behind the stable.

"Let's split up, just in case I missed her earlier" I called over my shoulder. I didn't wait to hear his answer, if he even had one. I was starting to get tired, but I refused to give up. In the distance I heard Vaughn's voice call out: "Tara!"

I began to slow down, gasping for air from my near-constant running. Just then I heard a sound that made me want to collapse in relief: I heard a puppy whimpering. I began to follow the sound while Vaughn shouted again in the distance. Finally, after hours of worry and searching, I saw Tara curled up beneath a large tree root. She was shivering and whimpering in fear, staring out at the rain with fearful eyes. I moved toward the tiny puppy slowly, trying not to scare her.

"Tara," I called gently, "Here girl." She lifted her head to glance at me before shrinking back against the tree. I continued to call softly to her as I slowly made my way closer to her. Just as I was about to grab Tara, the world was lit in an unnaturally bright light. There was a loud crack overhead, sudden intense pain, and then my world went black.

**A/N: Wow, just when things started to look good, WHAM! Literally! Well, you'll just have to wait for the next chapter to find out what happened Please review and let me know what you think of the story so far.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: SORRY IT'S BEEN SO LONG! If anyone out there is still reading this, I have a valid excuse at the end of this chapter.**

I'd been searching for Tara for about 5 minutes before a bright light lit up the forest, almost blinding me and casting deep shadows all around me. Almost instantly a deafening crack shook the ground, almost causing me to loose my balance. After the sound had faded away I was about to start my search again when I heard a pained howl from the opposite direction.

_That's gotta be Tara_, I thought, sprinting in the direction of the sound. It wasn't long before I burst into the clearing the noise was coming from. My heart began to race as my mind processed what I was seeing. Halfway concealed beneath a giant tree root and a fallen branch was Chelsea with Tara curled defensively beside her.

"Oh no," I said breathlessly as I ran to her side, "Please, Goddess, let her be alive." I bent down to see if she was breathing. Amazingly enough, she was. Barely.

"Good girl, Tara." I told the puppy. I contemplated moving Chelsea's unconscious body, but I was afraid she had injured her spine, and everything I knew told me not to. The weather decided for me as the wind picked up, driving the rain painfully hard against my bare arms. "Screw it." I mumbled, lifting her gently from the ground and cradling her securely against my chest. After a few steps toward the farm, I checked to make sure that Tara was following me. Every few feet I would whistle, hoping that she was keeping up.

When we arrived back at Chelsea's house I was grateful to find that she had left the door open. Relieved, I walked in and gently placed her in her bed. I fumbled around looking for a thermometer, and after finding it, placed it in Chelsea's mouth. Better safe than sorry. While I was waiting to see if she had a fever or not I went over to the kitchen and filled a bowl with warm water. I grabbed a rag I found laying next to the sink and draped it over my arm on my way over to the tiny wooden bed. I set everything down on her bedside table and checked to see what her temperature was. My heart fell when I saw the number glowing at the end: 103.2.

Crap. I knew that anything over 100 was bad news, but I had never seen anyone with a fever this high. I pulled a chair over from the table and began soaking the rag. I decided that perhaps the best thing for me to do would be to wash off some of the mud that had covered her face. When that was taken care of, I refilled the bowl with cleaner water and placed the rag on her forehead to try and cool her down. Then I sank slowly back against the chair, feeling defeated. I didn't know what else I could do for her.

A few minutes later, I sat up suddenly. There _was _something else I could do. I walked over to the phone hanging on the wall and dialed a number that I was hoping to never use again. After a few rings, a cheerful female voice answered.

"Dr. Miller's office, how may I help you?"

"I need to speak to Dr. Miller. Tell him it's urgent."

"One moment please." she said, and the kind of music typically reserved for elevators replaced her.

"Hello, this is Dr. Miller. What is your emergency?"

"Listen, I need your help." I grumbled.

"Vaughn, is that you?" he asked, shocked.

"Yes, Dad, it's me. Now I-"

"Vaughn! How've you been son?"

"Dad! This is no time to talk! I have a friend who was out in the rain for hours. A branch fell on her and she's been unconscious for nearly an hour now. She has a fever of 103.2 and I don't know what to do."

"Well, this _is _serious," he said, clearing his throat. "Are there any scrapes or severe bruising on her head that you can see?"

I glanced down to Chelsea's lifeless form. "Um, no."

"Good. I assume that her clothes have already been discarded?"

"Dad!" I yelled, blushing.

"Son, if she was out in the rain then her clothes must be drenched. If that's the case, then that'll only make matters worse. You need to man up and do what's best for your friend."

"… Fine." I replied. I felt my own temperature rising as I swiftly removed Chelsea's shirt and jeans, looking only when necessary. When I had finished I pulled her comforter securely over her exposed body. The next few hours were spent gruelingly listening to my father and praying that I was doing the right thing. Finally, my father became silent.

"That it?" I growled into the phone as I slumped into the chair beside the bed.

"Yes, now all you have to do is keep an eye on that fever until it goes down. But if it continues to go up, find the closest doctor you can."

"Fine."

"And hopefully next time you won't wait until someone gets hurt to call-" I hung up the phone, finally fed up with the sound of his voice. With nothing else to do and a long night ahead of me, I crossed my feet and pulled my hat over my eyes for a nap.

**A/N: SORRY IT'S TAKEN SO LONG TO WRITE THIS! If anyone's still reading this, my excuse is that my computer caught a virus and wiped everything. Plus I have no internet. So I was lost. Anyway, thought I'd write from Vaughn's point of view this time. Hope you like what I had to say regarding the whole sick thing, not to mention Vaughn's dad showing up. Reviews and comments please!**


	7. Chapter 7

_It was a beautiful day on the farm. The sun was shining, my crops were ready to be harvested, and my animals were happy. I was about to begin harvesting when something moved at the edge of my vision. Time slowed down and the hairs on the back of my neck began to rise as I turned to see what it was that had caught my eye._

_Mark stood at the edge of my field with a sly grin on his face. My heart began to race and clouds moved to cover the sun as he began to move towards me. I ran as fast as I could for the rows of corn I had lovingly grown, hoping to find a safe place to hide among the leafy shadows. A cold wind swept through the field and seemed to chill my very soul. I tried to breathe as quietly as possible as I listened for my tormentor._

_"Chelsea!" He called from somewhere close by. "Chelsea, can you hear me?!" I tried to figure out where his voice was coming from but the wind carried his voice away before I could be sure. "Chelsea, you don't have to be afraid!"_

_'Yeah right!' I thought and sank further into the shadows. I felt a few drops of rain land on my arms before the sky opened up. The wind drove a stinging rain across my face and into my eyes, blinding me for a few moments. When my eyes cleared I found a shadow looming over me. I slowly looked up to find Mark glaring down at me. _

_I watched helplessly as the wind tore his hat from his head, leaving his hair to dance dangerously about his head like the halo of a fallen angel. He reached down and grabbed my wrists tightly in his hands. _

_"I'm doing this for your own good." He said sternly. He forced me onto my back and held my arms in place with his knees as he produced a length of rope from his pack. I began to scream and kick wildly, but to no avail. He bound my wrists together as I frantically tried everything I could to escape. Once my wrists were secure he glared down at me with a wild gleam in his eyes. I began to cry, pleading for him to stop as he raised his fist above my face. I watched his fist slam towards my face and suddenly my world was plunged into darkness…_

**A/N: I am sorry it has been years since I've added to this story. In that time I've had my own adventures being a new mom, and I admit I forgot about this story. But since I've rediscovered it I hope to finish this out, though I have NO idea where the story goes from here. I guess we'll find out together :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Last chapter was Chelsea's horrible fever dream, now let's see what actually happened...**

It felt like I had just closed my eyes when I heard Chelsea moaning in her sleep. I lifted my hat to see if she had woken up, hoping that she was alright. I gently felt her forehead, but the fever was still there. Her face looked pained and she moaned again. Whatever she was dreaming about seemed to be scaring her.

"Chelsea," I whispered, "Chelsea, can you hear me?" I was hoping to calm her down, but my words seemed to have the opposite effect. She began trembling and curled into a ball. I watched helplessly as she continued whimpering in fear. "Chelsea, you don't have to be afraid."

She seemed to scoff at that and tried to bury herself in the covers. I was way out of my depth. I had never had to calm down someone so scared, let alone while they were dreaming. I ran my hand through my hair and sighed, trying to think of a way to reach her through her nightmare.

The storm outside seemed to be getting worse, and I noticed she flinched at every clap of thunder. It seemed as if the wind itself had come alive, thrashing against the windows with the kind of fury only nature and women can summon.

Suddenly the force of the wind blew open the window. Chelsea sat up, her eyes wild and searching; when she looked up, those crazed eyes settled on me and widened in fear. A gust of wind knocked my hat to the floor and tossed my hair in my face. I looked down and saw that Chelsea had balled her shaking hands into fists, turning her knuckles a shocking white. Blood began to trickle from her palms where her fingernails were digging into them. I bent down and tried to pry her hands open and keep her from hurting herself further.

"I'm doing this for your own good." I told her. I tried to get her to lay back in her bed and rest but she began to struggle wildly. While she was thrashing Chelsea managed to punch me in the face, causing me to see stars.

"NO!" she screamed, nearly drowning out the thunder that rumbled outside. She tried kicking off the blankets and nearly landed a blow on poor Tara, who was trying to see if her new owner was okay. Without a second thought I pulled the bandana from her hair and bound her hands with one end and tied the other to her bed to keep her from hitting me again. I moved to the foot of her bed so that I could hold down her legs and keep her from kicking her own dog, something I knew she would never forgive herself for.

A strange sound escaped her lips and I looked up to see that Chelsea had started crying. "Please," she begged, "please stop. Please stop hurting me, Mark." I felt a knot in my throat while I watched helplessly as her nightmare tormented her. Of course it was that creep from her past! Rage began to surge through me as I fought to keep Chelsea still.

A huge crack of thunder shook the house, seeming to stun everyone, including Chelsea. The lights flickered for a moment, and then went completely out, leaving us in near-darkness. The form on the bed slouched back into the pillows, seemingly unconscious. I waited a few minutes, then released her and went to untie her hands. I lit the candle on her nightstand; once I coaxed the flame in to existence I went to close the window. I stood staring at my windswept reflection, trying to let the falling rain soothe my anger.

A flash of lightning lit up the night, and for a moment I thought I saw someone at the end of the bridge. A moment later another streak of light illuminated the spot, but nothing was there. Probably just my anger getting the better of me. Still, I checked every lock on the windows and doors, and pulled my chair closer to Chelsea's bed. Imagination or no, I was going to make sure she was safe.

**A/N: Sorry if this chapter seems poorly written, I was half asleep. **


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